Prominent Nigerian woman wins seat
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - The strong cheekbones and broad smile are reminiscent
of her late father, one of Nigeria's most famous sons. But the feminist
fervor is distinctly her own. "I give God the credit for my success," Lola
Abiola-Edowar told a crowd of supporters outside her two-story British
colonial-style house after winning a seat Saturday in the House of
Representatives. In a country where women have long been relegated to the
political fringe, the daughter of Moshood Abiola, the billionaire
politician who died in military detention last year, is breaking new
ground. The victory in her home constituency in the Lagos neighborhood of
Apapa ushered her into a tiny club - in recent years, women have held less
than 1% of Nigeria's legislative seats. See full story
<http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558566127-f2a>
Brazil opens hydroelectric dam
SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Brazil's president inaugurated a huge
hydroelectric dam Tuesday, which he said will help satisfy the country's
growing energy needs. But environmentalists denounced the project as an
"ecological disaster." The $5 billion Sergio Motta Dam, located 370 miles
northwest of Sao Paulo on the Parana River, will generate 1,814 megawatts
of power by 2003, when all of its 18 turbines are operating. President
Fernando Henrique Cardoso activated the first three turbines Tuesday; they
have a combined capacity of 300 megawatts. The dam has been condemned by
environmentalists, who say that flooding 556,000 acres of land has done
severe ecological damage. See full story
<http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558566592-1b5>
